Firing mechanism for machine guns



July 17, 1934. F T. MOORE 1,966,592

FIRING MECHANISM FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed July 29, 1932 r11/lll vill/111111111111111 fnl/.1: .mi of' ederjc/r I Maar e @y 95147 TWDPHX Patented July 17, 1934 UNITED STATES FIRING MECHANISM FR MACHINE GUNS Y Frederick T. Moore, East Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Colts Patent Fire Arms Manufacturl lng Co., Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 625,684

3 Claims.

The invention relates particularly to a machine gun firing mechanism adapted for remote control. In accordance with the invention the machine gun may, for instance, be mounted upon the wing of an airplane, but may nevertheless be conveniently operated and red by the pilot or the observer in his normal position. The object of the invention is to provide a ring control mechanism for the general purpose described which conveniently permits the firing of either single shots or volleys, and which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown two dierent embodiments of the invention and it will be understood that the drawing is intended to be for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specication being relied upon for that purpose.

Oi the drawing: Y

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine gun and a ring mechanism therefor embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine gun shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 11.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are top, rear and side views re-v spectively of the sear.

Figs. 9 and 10 are rear and side views respectively of the sear operating member.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the firing mechanism to which the invention particularly relates, this view being taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 12 is a View similar to'Fig. 11, but showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.

A ring mechanism embodying my invention is particularly adapted for use with a gun having a transversely and horizontally movable sear which is so constructed and positioned ,that it is adapted to be directly engaged through an opening in the side wall of the gun casing. Sucha machine gun is shown in Patent No. 1,803,394 is- -sued May 5, 1931 in the name of Christian Pfeiffer. A somewhat similar machine gun is shown in Patent No. 1,803,350 issued May 5, 1931 in the name of George H. Tansley. In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood I have shown in the drawing and will now describe a gun such as that disclosed in detail inthe aforesaid Tansley patent. Reference may be had to the said patent for details of construction not herein fully presented.

The machine gun comprises a breech casing 1 which is Igenerally rectangular in cross section and which is connected at the front with a trunnionY block 2. The casing is closed at the rear by means of a plate 3 which carries a buier mechanism indicated as an entirety by 4.. Projecting from thev casing at the front thereof is a barrel 5 which upon recoil is movable rearward to a limited extent. The barrel extends through a bearing aperture in the trunnionblock 2 and has another bearing at or near the forwardrend of the barrel jacket 6, the said jacket being carried by a flange 7 formed onthe trunnion block 2.

Positioned within the casing 1 is a breech bolt 8 which is held in locked relationship with the barrel at the instant of iiring, but which during recoil moves rearward separately from the barrel so that it, together with its associated parts, may eiect ejection of the empty cartridge shell, cocking of the ring pin and loading of a new cartridge. All of these features of construction and operation are fully disclosed in the aforementioned patents and detailed description thereof is not here necessary.

The breech bolt 8 has aA central longitudinal opening therein adapted to receivea ring pin 9. A spring which is not shown serves to bias the firing pin 9 for movement in the forward direction. Pivotally mounted on the breech bolt is a cooking lever 10, the upper end of which extends into a suitable notch in the upper portion of the casing and the lower end of which extends into a slot 9a in the firing pin. The cooking lever 10 is so formed and so related to the aforesaid notchinthe upper portion of the casing that when the breech bolt moves rearward during recoil the cocking lever is turned in the clockwise direction and serves to move the firing pin 9 relatively rearward to its cocked position where it is engaged by the sear to be now described.

The breech bolt 8 isprovided at therear with a transverse horizontal slot or guideway in which is located a transversely and horizontally Vmovable sear element 11. AAs illustrated the sear element 11 is the sear itself, but as to this theY invention is not necessarily limited. As shown the sear element or sear 11 has a forward extending hook portion l1a which is adapted to engage .a locking shoulder 9b formed on the firing pin 9 near the rear thereof. Preferably the shoulder 9b is the rear wall of a notch cut into the pin.

Carried by the breech bolt 8 immediately adles similarly shaped notch 9b in the sear. The inemf ber 12 with the lug 12a thereon thus serves as a detent to releasably hold the sear in its operative position. The sear is additionally held by means of a springk plunger 15 carried by a boss at the rear of the Sear as shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. The spring plunger l5 abuts against the said vertically movable member l2 as shown and thus also tends to hold the sear in its operative engagement with the firing pin.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 it will be apparent that the iiring pin 9 may be released to effect the firing of the gun by engagingthe scar 11 at the left hand end thereoic andr moving it toward the right. In order that such engagement may be conveniently eiected the side wall of the casing is provided with an opening 16 in register with the end of the sear. l Preferably the firing pin, thel Sear and the parts associated therewith are so constructed that the sea-r may be bodilyreversed so that it may move from right to left instead of from left to right as shown and described. The feed mechanism may also be reversed so that the cartridge belt may be moved from right to left instead or from left to right. kThe details permitting such reversals and adjustments of parts are fully described in the aforesaid Tansley patent and repetition of the description is unnecessary.

During normal operation of the gun the rearward movement of the breech bolt is effected by the recoil action'but in feedingr the first cartridge preparatory to normal action it lis necessary to manually move the bolt rearward; In order that the breech bolt may be so moved it is provided with a stud 17 which projects laterally through a slot 18 in the side wall of the casing. For engaging the stud 17 to operate the bolt 8 thereV is provided a charging slide, which may be of any Ausual or preferred construction. As shown there are brackets 19, 19a on the side of the casing carrying a sleeve 20 slotted at the top and having therein a longitudinally movable rod 21. The rod 2l has thereon a hook member 21a which engages the before-mentioned stud 17 and the rod 21 carries at the rear thereof a handle 22 by means of which it may be manually moved. It

A will be apparent that by moving the handle 22 ment may be effected by means of a cord 23 connected to the hook member 21a and adapted to extend to any convenient position.

One form ofthe remote controlV ring mechanisznrto which the invention particularly relates is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 11. A bracket member. 24 isV provided 'which is rigidly secured to the Vgun casing, preferably at the side'thereof opposite to that carrying the before-described charging slide. Preferably the side wall of the casing has therein not only the before-'menl* Y ing in detail from that shown in Figs. 3, and 11,

tioned opening 16 but also a second opening 25. Thefront wall of the opening 16 and the rear wall of the opening 25 are preferably beveled as shown. The bracket member 24 has thereon a lug 24e with a beveled surface adapted to engage the beveled surface at the rear of the opening 25. Near the front of the bracket member is an opening through which extends a bolt 26 having a beveled surface thereon adapted to engage the lbeveled surface at the front of the opening 16. It will be apparent that when the nut 26aon the bolt 26 is tightened the bracket member 24 is forced against the side wall of the casing and is firmly held in place.

The bracket member 24 is provided with a centralrrecess 27 in which is mounted a lever 28, this lever being pivoted on a vertical pin 29. A spring plunger 30 tends to move the lever in the counter-clockwise direction, that is, from the operative position shown by full lines to the inoperative position shown by dotted lines. It will be observed that the spring plunger 30 is interposed between the bracket 24 and the longitudinally extending portion of the lever 28, being at the outer side of the said portion. Also mounted in the recess 27 in the bracket member 24 is a bell crank lever 31 pivoted for movement about a vertical pin 32. The forward extending arm of the lever 3l engages the inner surface or" the rearward extending arm of the lever 28. The outward extending arm of the lever 31 projects throughV an opening in the outer wall of the bracketmember 24. A spring plunger 33 tends to move the lever 31 inthe clockwise direction, that is, from the operative position shown by full lines to the inoperative position shown by dotted lines.V Connected with the outward projecting arm yor the lever 31 is a flexible operatingmeans which may be a tension member or cord 34. It will be obvious that the cord 34 may extend, preferably longitudinally, to any convenient position from rwhich the gun is to be controlled and red.

The lever 28 is Vso shaped and positioned that when the breech bolt 8 and the sear 11 are in their normal forward positions, as shown in Fig. 11, the said lever 28 is in register with the scar and is adapted to engage it upon being moved. It will be understood that when there is no tension on the cord 34 the levers 28 and 31 will be heldby their respective spring plungers in the dotted line inoperative positions and the seal' 11 lwill be in its normal position to hold the firing pin as shown in Fig. 5. However, when the cord 34 is tensioned the levers 31 and 28 are moved to the positions shown by full lines in Fig. 1l, thus causing the sear 1l to be moved toward the right and thus effecting the release of the firing pin and the ring of the gun.

If only a single shot is desired the operator immediately releases the tension on the cord 34 and the two levers are then restored to their dotted line positions, thus permitting the scar, afterrecoil and cooking, to remain engaged with the firing pin. If, however, volley ring is desired tension is maintained on the cord 34 and the levers are held in the positions shown by full lines. The lever 28 is provided with a beveled surface at'280? and as Vthe breech bolt and Sear move Aforward* afterrrecoil the said beveled surt will be obvious that in this way continuousA :tiring maybe efected.

In Fig. 12 I have shownV a construction diierbut nevertheless embodying the invention. In lieu of the bracket member 24 there is provided a bracket member 35 which is similarly Cheld in place. A pivoted lever 36 is provided mounted for movement about a vertical pivot pin 37. The forward extending arm of this lever is similar in function to the forward extending arm of the lever 28 and bears a similar relationship to the sear 11.V The lever 36 has a rearward extending arm which is engaged by a spring plunger at 38 which normally tends to move the lever in the counter-clockwise direction, that is, from the position shown by full lines to the position shown by dotted lines. The lever 36 also has an outward extending arm, the rear face of which is engaged by a plunger 39. A spring 40 surrounding the plunger 39 normally tends to move it to its rear or retracted position. For moving the plunger 39 to its forward projecting position shown in the drawing there is provided a flexible operating member Aof the pressure type, as for instance a Bowden wire. This member has an outer flexible casing 41 and an inner flexible wire which is movable longitudinally through the casing and which is connected with the plunger 39. The Bowden wire member can extend to any desired position from which the gun is to be controlled and fired, and by applying pressure to the wire 42 the plunger 39 can be moved forward, thus moving the lever 36 to the position shown by full lines. This movement of the lever effects ring of the gun in the way already fully described in connection with Fig. l1. If volley firing is desired the lever is maintained in the full line position.

I have already pointed out that the sear 11 is preferably reversible and that the feeding mechanism may be capable of reversal or adjustment so that feeding can be eifected in either direction. When the gun is so constructed I preferably provide for the attachment of the remote control firing mechanism at either side thereof as desired. To this end there are provided in the right side of the casing holes 16a and 25a similar respectively to the before-mentioned holes 16 and 25. These permit the firing mechanism, whether constructed as shown in Fig. 11 or as constructed as shown in Fig. 12, to. be reversed in position and attached at the opposite side. In this connection it will, of course, be understood that when the ring mechanism is attached at the right side the charging slide will be attached at the left side.

What I claim is:

1. A remote control firing mechanism for a machine gun having a casing with a breech bolt therein movable rearward upon recoil and having on the breech bolt a longitudinally movable ring pin and a transversely and horizontally movable sear element, the said ring mechanism comprising in combination, a bracket adapted to be attached to the casing at one side thereof, a lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and having an extension at one end and adapted to move transversely through an opening in the casing to directly engage and operate the horizontally movable sear element, a second lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and adapted to move the rst said lever, and a flexible power transmitting tension member operably connected with the second lever and adapted to extend to the gun from a remote position of control.

2. A remote control firing mechanism for a machine gun having a casing with a breech bolt therein movable rearward upon recoil and having on the breech bolt a longitudinally movable ring pin and a transversely and horizontally movable sear element, the said iiring mechanism comprising in combination, a bracket adapted to be attached to the casing at one side thereof, a lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and having an extension at one end and adapted to move transversely through an opening in the casing to directly engage and operate the horizontally movable sear element, the said lever extension having thereon a beveled surface which serves when the lever is maintained in its ring position to engage and operate the sear element as the breech bolt moves forward after recoil, a second lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and adapted to move the first said lever, and a flexible power transmitting tension member operably connected with the second lever and adapted to extend to the gun from a remote position of control.

3. A remote' control firing mechanism for a machine gun having a casing with a breech bolt therein movable rearward upon recoil and having on the breech bolt a longitudinally movable firing pin and a transversely and horizontally movable sear element, the said firing mechanism comprising in combination, a bracket adapted to be attached to the casing at one side thereof, a lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and having an extension at one end and adapted to move transversely through an opening in the casing to directly engage and operate the horizontally movable sear element, a second lever vertically pivoted to the bracket and directly engaging the rst said lever to move it, two separate springs associated with the respective levers for biasing them toward their inoperative positions, and a flexible power transmitting tension member operably connected with the second lever and adapted to extend to the gun from a remote position of control.

FREDERICK 'I'. MOORE. 

